Market Basket: Eggplant is garden royalty

10:56 PM,
Aug. 20, 2013

Written by

Tammy Algood

f there were ever nobility in the produce bin, it would have to be a title reserved for eggplant. For some reason, this purple, sometimes cream-colored, orb holds a sophisticated place that says "extra effort" and lifts a dish to exceptional status.

Although we use eggplant as a vegetable, it's actually a fruit - specifically, a berry. Eggplant is in the nightshade family, making it a relative of potatoes, tomatoes, tomatillos and peppers.

The taste is strongly influenced by the availability of water. Those that are stressed from an inadequate supply will produce fruits that are bitter in ...